


Getting Up and Going Home

by mcgarrygirl78



Series: Starting Over [16]
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: F/M, Family, Romance, post-episode
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-07
Updated: 2012-06-07
Packaged: 2017-11-07 03:06:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/426254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In life there were some steps you took that didn’t allow you to go backward without a lot of complications.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Getting Up and Going Home

**Author's Note:**

> SPOILERS FOR HIT/RUN!!!!

“Are we going home, Dad?”

Jack woke up strapped into the backseat of his dad’s truck. He didn’t remember falling asleep at the wedding. He was having a lot of fun eating and dancing with everyone. He and Agent Emily were dancing and then he and Beth. Uncle Derek taught him how to do the Cabbage Patch and something called the Bop. Jack didn’t know if he could do those dances again but they were a lot of fun.

“Well we have to drop Beth off first but yeah buddy, we’re heading home.”

“Isn't Beth gonna stay with us?” Jack asked.

Hotch looked at Beth and she gave a little nod. She would answer this. They were supposed to be working together; she wasn’t going to leave him hanging this time.

“Jack, you have school in the morning and I have work.” she said. “It was such fun hanging out in your fort and I definitely look forward to doing it again. For tonight, beds are probably best.”

“We don’t have to sleep in the fort. You can stay and make pancakes in the morning, like Mommy used to do. Right, Dad?”

“You ask the tough questions, Jack.”

“I don’t think its so tough.” He replied.

“I promise that we’ll hang out again.” Beth said. “Dad and I just need to have a conversation about some things.”

“Like what?” Jack asked.

“We need to talk about some grownup things.” Hotch said.

“OK.”

He accepted the answer for now but Hotch knew that was because he was tired. It was only a matter of time before Jack overwhelmed him again. Knowing his kid it would be when Beth wasn’t there to back him up. He glanced at her before going back to the road. Beth reached over to stroke his hand.

“Maybe we can just have sleepovers on the weekends.” Jack piped up again. “I mean when Dad is home and I'm not with Aunt Jessie and Uncle Sam. I think that would be fun. Don’t you Beth?”

“As a matter of fact I do.” she couldn’t help but smile. 

“Did you have fun tonight, Jack?” Hotch asked. It was better to change the subject. One good thing about a seven year old, changing the subject was easier than usual.

“There was so much food and I danced a lot.” he grinned. “I really liked the food. I can't wait to go to another wedding. It was fun just like Aunt Jessie and Uncle Sam’s.”

“I'm glad you had fun even though there weren't many other kids there.” Beth said.

“Agent Emily spent a lot of time with me. She’s a good dancer. You are too Beth.”

“Thank you. I've always loved to dance. Next time we hang out I’ll bring some of my favorite music and we’ll dance some more.”

“OK.”

The rest of the ride home was relatively quiet. Hotch had music playing; his favorite oldies station was playing some decent love songs. Dionne Warwick sang I’ll Never Love this Way Again. He would occasionally look at Beth as he drove on the freeway and into DC. She looked tired but happy. 

There was actually an easy smile on her face as she relaxed in her seat. He loved her smile. Hotch often wondered how long she would wear that smile if they kept seeing each other. His feelings were more obvious every time they were together. Beth’s were as well. 

It was inevitable that they would spend more time together and with Jack. But sleepovers…that was scary. It wasn’t scary when it was just the two of them. Hotch loved to wake up with her in his arms. But he didn’t just have himself to think about. 

Jack adored Beth. When she wasn’t there he talked about her. That didn’t mean his father was ready to go there. In life there were some steps you took that didn’t allow you to go backward without a lot of complications. Any kind of cohabitation with Beth was one of those steps.

“What are you thinking?’ Beth asked. She took a look in the rearview mirror and it looked as if Jack was asleep again. He’d surely worn himself out at the wedding.

“I'm thinking about a lot of things.”

“Did you have fun tonight?”

“It was great.” He smiled. “JJ was very surprised and she was happy. Will is a good guy…he's always been a good guy. They're a good family. I can only imagine what he puts up with being the primary parent while she travels all over the country doing what we do. All he wants is to be with her. I wish them the best.”

“Its not easy being the one left at home, is it?”

“I don’t know.” Hotch shook his head. “I've never been that person.”

“They say absence makes the heart grow fonder.” She said.

“It also makes the eye wander and the life go on.”

“I never really thought you were a pessimist, Aaron.” 

“I'm a realist.” He replied. “Relationships and marriages don’t always last in the BAU. We’re all divorced, some of us a lot, or single. The fraternization rule goes ignored because sometimes it’s easier to be with someone who knows all that you're going through.”

“What about you? Did you want to be with someone who knew what you were going through?”

“I just want to be a good father to Jack. I want to be…” Hotch sighed. “We have hard conversations sometimes.”

“Yeah but that means we get to have easier ones later.” Beth said.

“You're an optimist.”

“Yes I am.” She smiled.

“Optimism is a good thing.”

She wanted to lean over and kiss him but that was kind of hard with him driving. It was easy to fall in love with Aaron Hotchner and she already had. He was handsome and brave; smart, sexy, and funny. He was everything that Beth was looking for in a man. He just happened to have a job that kept him away more than he was there. 

He was also a single dad and his son was his #1 priority. That didn’t leave a lot of room for her. Most women didn’t want to be a part of something like that. Who in their right mind would want to be third or even fourth in the life of someone they loved? 

She wasn’t a young girl anymore. Compromise was a part of life and surely a part of love. Being with Hotch was something that made Beth happy. It was obvious that even though there were still things to work out, he felt the same way.

“I really care about you and Jack.” Beth said. She wasn’t sure why she said it. It was the truth. But there was something in her that just needed him to know. In case he was crazy and didn’t already.

“We care about you too.”

“Good.” She nodded.

Soon he was pulling up in front of her Georgetown apartment. Hotch double parked and put on his blinkers. He could hear the low rumble of thunder over their heads. The storm was coming but he was glad it hadn't interrupted their wonderful evening.

“Here we are.” He looked at her.

“Yeah, here we are.” She took his hands, now free from the steering wheel. “I had a good time tonight. I like being with the people you work with and care about.”

“They like you. I have to agree with Penelope’s assessment that you're pretty awesome.”

When Beth smiled, her dimples were out in full force. She held Hotch’s hand to her lips. 

“I hate to say it but I don’t want to go.” She whispered.

“I think you had a blast sleeping on my living room floor. I know my back is going to take a few weeks to forgive me.” He said.

“I just enjoyed being with the two coolest guys on earth.”

“Jack is cooler than I am.”

“Mmm, sometimes he is.” Beth laughed. “I'm already looking forward to seeing you again.”

“Me too.” Hotch nodded.

He slipped his hands out of hers and caressed her face. Then Hotch leaned in, kissing her nose. His lips moved down over hers. He possessed her mouth slowly and a moan built up from Beth’s diaphragm. 

She pulled him closer, wrapping her arms around his neck. When they kissed like this he hardly ever wanted it to end. The feelings rose all the way from the tips of his toes. Butterflies built in Hotch’s belly and soon his moan matched Beth.

“Are you guys kissing?” Jack asked, suddenly awake again.

“Yes we are.” Hotch replied, his lips still over Beth’s. “Cover your eyes buddy.”

“But I wanna see. Go, Dad!”

Beth started laughing. She laughed, her head falling on Hotch’s shoulder. He ran his hand through her hair. When she looked up at him her blue eyes were sparkling.

“I better go.”

“We’ll make sure you get inside safely.” He said.

She smiled and then took off her seatbelt. Fancy dress and all, Beth turned around in the backseat and leaned forward to Jack.

“Kiss.” she said.

“Goodnight, Beth.” Jack gave her a big kiss and then put his arms around her neck.

“One more for the road.” Hotch said when she was back in the front seat.

“If you like it, I love it Agent Hotchner.”

They kissed again and Beth was climbing out of the car. Hotch and Jack watched her go up the stairs and into her apartment. He didn’t drive off until he saw the lights come on inside. He wished he could’ve gone in with her but wasn’t going to leave Jack alone. Hotch knew his fear that she would get up there and something, someone, would hurt her was irrational. 

It was still so palpable when he couldn’t be with her. Then his cell phone was buzzing. He took it from his hip and looked at the text message. ‘ _I'm inside and safe. Tonight was amazing…I’ll see you soon_.’ –Beth. Hotch smiled as he typed back. ‘ _You will definitely see me soon. Goodnight and have sweet dreams_.’ –Aaron.

“Dad?”

“Yes, Jack?”

He pulled back into traffic and headed toward their Alexandria home. It was late and Jack had school in the morning. He also had to go to work but getting Jack up and ready for the next day was more important.

“Now all you need to do is say I love you.” the young boy said.

“What?” he couldn’t look back but did glance at his son in the rearview mirror.

“You have to kiss a lot and say I love you before you can get married, right? Well you guys were kissing…a lot. Alex at school says girls have cooties and they’ll give them to you but I guess they must go away when you grow up.”

“Yes, cooties go away.” Hotch smiled. “And we don’t need to talk about marriage right now. We need to get you home to bed so you can go to school in the morning.”

“I like Beth a lot.” Jack said.

“I like her too.”

“She had fun in our fort.”

“Yes, she did.” Hotch nodded.

“So you guys can get married like Agent JJ and Detective Will. We can be a family.”

“Jack, it’s complicated but I promise we’ll talk about some other time. I promise.”

“OK Dad.”

He would give up for now. It wasn’t just about the new mommy thing, though he was sure that Beth would be a good mommy. Jack wanted his dad to be happy. He was smiling again, laughing, and Jack could see the happiness in his eyes. He was still gone a lot for work but was happier at home. Hotch always tried to be happy for Jack but his son still saw the sadness behind the happiness. 

It had all but gone away with Beth. How could Jack not want more of that? He knew they would all be happy together. He didn’t want to lose Beth like he lost her mother. Jack wasn’t even sure how to tell his father those things. He just had a feeling that it couldn’t wait.

***


End file.
